Watching a couple of these along with a bionicon, basically after a cheap am/Alps bike I guess. Something to learn more DH stuff on and go off bigger harder stuff.

But don’t know much about them.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251398777604?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Really good bikes as far as I know. Perfect for feeling your way into DH. I rode one in Whistler years ago where it was in its element and was perfect for that kind of playful, park riding and no slouch on the DH trails.

It was the only bike of its type then though, I wonder how it would compare to a newish Enduro that can go anywhere and still rip on the downhills.

IMO they’re too steep angled to be a proper dh bike, and too heavy to be a proper trail bike, if you are going for a more dh orientation, look for a demo 7 if you want a dh lite bike.

Oh and the one in your link is an enduro, not an SX trail. And it’s brown.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171191613195?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

This is the one I’m watching too buy, other was just random link

This is the left field

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331083781221?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I’d be more than happy for other links. Don’t think DH as such, more old bloke at trail centre pretending its DH

I had an SX trail of about the age of your last post. Used it at Chicksands Bike Park and for a bit of trail riding as well. Managed a 36 miler in the peaks once which very nearly finished me off, but on the descents it was just magic.

It was fun in the bike park as well. Most of the stuff I did was jumping off things. For those that rode there, it was the first bike that got me off the big log drop.

It was a bit heavy for an all day trail bike and a bit too trail for a DH/Play bike if that makes sense. But I still loved it and never got close to finding the limts of it. Remember have a brilliant day at Chicky on the then new 4x course with it.

If I still had it, I’d take it to the alps based on the avialability of uplifts. I wouldn’t ride it as a trail bike anymore tho, far better bikes for all round riding.

I’ve got à spearfish for day to day riding, this is more an occasional big day out tool.

Awesome bike. Should be in the mountain bike hall of fame. A classic.
The welds had a tendency to go around the chainstay yoke on earlier versions (non drive side I think) so check that area for damage – should be obvious.
I have a standard Enduro built up like an SX for similar duties and I’m not sure if it is any different apart from the shock and shock shuttle. Maybe the headtube walls were thicker?

A Pitch with 36s/Lyriks on would be lighter and have a slacker head angle I think. Coincidentally this is what I have. 😉

It was certainly heavier! My mate had the same year Enduro and we reckon the SX trail was a good 2-3 lbs heavier. Still it had some very stout wheels on it and some Spesh Chunder tyres which were great but fairly weighty.

I did a lot of this on mine

IMG_0792 by Alex Leigh, on Flickr

All of which I could also do on my DMR trailstar. However with the SX, I could still walk the next day 😉

I had one. Weighed as much as a downhill bike, rode like a trail bike.

Dont get one, if you do put an air shock on it with a platform assist lever.

My Nukeproof Mega is a much more capable bike downhill due to the geometry and its lighter, coincidentally its up for sale. And you can get second hand frames dead cheap if you want.

I don’t like the thought of the bionicon. I’m no singlespeeder but I just think theres too much to go wrong.

Good luck with the SX. Always wanted one, never could find one in L though!

You can get 2nd hand mega frames cheap? 😯

Cheap still seems to be £1200 lol.

I’ve owned a Bionicon and they’re simple to work on etc.

I’ve put my Spearfish up for sale which would change my budget massively.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171191613195?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

How much am I sticking in lads?

I love mine (2007 – Large)

I seem to recall Steve Jones from dirt having a soft spot for them too

it’s certainly not a whippet but it make perfect sense as a winch and plummet / Alps bike. It descends every bit as well as my old Big Hit, it’s simple and reliable.

Static head angle is a sensibly slack 66 degrees with 55’s, my make slackened his further with offset bushings, though he was pretty dedicated to not riding up anything.

It will be way cheaper than getting a more modern enduro bike, that is for certain.

I have one, from 2005, back then there was only really xc, dh or freeride bikes. It was one of the first ‘winch up/fly down type’ bikes.

Nowadays it probably descends as well as a trail bike, but climbs like a dh bike…

This is the main reason I refuse to have a go on a ‘modern’ FS, it will lead to a rather large outlay!

I loved my ’06 SX Trail , set up with a single ring , marzocchi 66rc , hope mono m4 and shimano gears . I rode it all over despite the fact it weighed 36.5 lb including down the Fort William world cup DH run. It’s an excellent dh starter bike. Sold the frame last year for £280.

Tom_W1987 – Member

I had one. Weighed as much as a downhill bike, rode like a trail bike.

Sums it up perfectly for me, I never liked mine. I reckon in 2007 it might have made a lot of sense to be fair, but it didn’t bring anything to the party that my hemlock doesn’t, and it did some things miles worse. Mind you I am not a jumper and I’m told they’re ace at that.

But, that is a nice build there, even if you cost up the value if you hate it and break it up or use it as a build kit for something else (PS, Patriot 66) it’s still got to be worth over the current price.

Outbid twice!

sx in the iom by furious_tarsier, on Flickr

Mine

What was the difference between these and the same year enduro? Was it just the fact that the sx had coil suspension and a slacker set of angles due to a different shock mount ?

I have an 05 enduro, and an ibis mojo hd. The enduro is equal to the mojo on the downs, but the mojo is muchbetter on the climbs and the flats.

That said, the enduro is still a fine bike even these days, 8 years after the landmark 2005 model. If the mojo is out of action I’ll take the enduro,and it’s still a great bike.

My enduro weighs ~33lb with air sprung front and rear, no dropper post, and medium weight finishing kit. The mojo weighs ~30lb with coil forks, ccdb air shock, reverb post and light weight kit.

My sx came with both shock mounts, I think the air shock and not-poo-brown (although I like the colour) were the only differences.

I have no idea what mine weighs, but it’s enough to pull small woodland mammals into orbit around it.

Loved mine. I had a 2005 model which was 150mm travel and used it as an all day bike just fine. It weighed in at 32llbs with 36 Van RC2’s, Reverb, Havoc wheels, 1×10 etc. With the slack suck shuttle, they’re pretty slack even by modern standards. The seat tube is pretty slack too though which can make them hard work on climbs (I got round it by leaning forward).

Here’s a pic of my old one.

They’re not the lightest things, but they are a hoot to ride especially if you prefer descents to climbing. With a sensible build, they make are fine as a do everything bike. They were pretty far ahead if everything at the time they came out with regards to angles etc. They did get more DH orientated over the years though (the 07 ones were 170mm if I remember correctly and were good as a mini uplift bike fir the UK), so d get an earlier one if you actually want to pedal it anywhere.

The SX had the same forged head tube and bb area as the demo 8 so was a bit stronger and heavier than the Enduro.

I would go for an sx every time against a bionicon. They just seem too complicated plus I have never read a review that says how they ride, all the reviews are about how the adjustment works.

The old sx and enduro are still great bikes and lots of fun when coming down. Hard work on the ups mind, but well worth it.

Good frame I had one and a enduro with dhx5 an same shock link so same frame loved them both can do what you need it to, don’t put an e13 guide on it kept making my chain line out no mater what you did to it an put mech in the wheel 3 times

tick tock tick tock…

20 mins left on the Bionicon….

That bionicon looks absolutely horrific!

I would much rather have an old SX trail than one of those, or even an old Kona.

They do ride really really well Steve, they’re excellent bikes… I was lacking in space when I had mine, hence selling it after a Morzine trip… but it was brilliant there and really flattered my skills/riding.

Oh poop… someone else is in with a bid… Not sure I wanna pay more than £700

It weighed in at 32llbs with 36 Van RC2’s, Reverb, Havoc wheels, 1×10 etc.

Hmmmmm….

It weighed in at 32llbs with 36 Van RC2’s, Reverb, Havoc wheels, 1×10 etc.

Hmmmmm….

It did – it started off at 37lbs and was put on a pretty substantial diet (good bye Z150’s, Diabolus cranks, Stroker 4 pots, Blackspire chain device, Maxxis tyres etc).

I saved a load of weight ditching my Diabolus cranks and Azonic A frame pedals and replacing them with Atlas AM cranks and Superstar pedlas. The Havoc weighed loads less than then original wheels I had on it as did the Hans Dampf’s (400g ditch just by removing the single ply High Rollers). I was also running a DHX air not the heavy old 5th Element.

Kevin had one, sold it a couple of years ago.

Great bike on the downs but a bit hard on the uphill. I rode it for a day in Verbier but didnt think it was any faster than my Enduro at the time. He replaced it with a later Enduro which was better for the all round riding he was doing which Abigale is now riding

I can vouch for mindmaps being surprisingly light. It was substantially lighter than my Enduro with Lyrik DPA 721s and a generally heavy build.

If you want DH bike, buy a DH bike.

As stated in a few posts before, the SX was good in the day (kinda) but not for proper DH, not for a mere mortal/have a go merchant like me.

I bought a new one and hoped I could use it for everything, bought it with Van36’s moved on Totems when I realized it was too much for any distance, thought it might as well just be a dick about bike:

A few years ago – I swapped with a mate at a DH venue, he rode my SX and rode his IH Sunday, he couldn’t stay with me and he’s a massively better rider than me, that was enough, I sold it and bought a fairly cheap 2009 Demo8 as I was convinced I had the wrong tool for the job.

(cheaper freeride angle version) I still have it and would love a newer DH version one but don’t use it enough to justify the change.

If money is tight and as said before go for a Demo7, they are pretty cheap and can become 8″ travel buy taking a spacer in shock – most people do, the only thing to be aware of are the 66’s that came on the Demo7 were in some cases not that great – Marzocchi are back on form now

Examples:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specialized-demo-dh-bike-/321276586970?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item4acd93abda

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-Specialized-demo-7-down-hill-bike-mint-condition-/190998885390?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item2c786bb40e

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/specialized-DEMO-7-frame-/251404455350?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Fragrances_Women_s_Fragrances_PP&hash=item3a88df8db6

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specialized-Demo-7-Dh-Bike-/291029083667?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item43c2af6613

etc….

I also have an Enduro Evo which I think is a better bike than the SX ever was, same travel, better angles and way lighter:

Ti spring on order…